Joystiqhttp://www.joystiq.com
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en-usCopyright 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/30/i-am-bread-to-land-butter-side-up-on-ios-later-this-year/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/30/i-am-bread-to-land-butter-side-up-on-ios-later-this-year/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/30/i-am-bread-to-land-butter-side-up-on-ios-later-this-year/#commentsSurgeon Simulator developer Bossa Studios has revealed that its latest bizarrely engrossing experiment in virtual physics, I Am Bread, will reach iOS devices following its PC debut.

Before you start seeking metaphorical meanings, the game's title is literal: I Am Bread casts players as a piece of bread attempting to toast itself. That's easier said than done, however, as bread isn't very mobile, so players must flip and flop their weirdly pliable square of carbohydrates through complex stages first. If you need a visual aid, you'll find a gameplay trailer past the break.

"I AmBread for iOS will feature all the new content Bossa is adding to the Steam Early Access version, including this week's major update - an all new garage area in which to find more innovative ways of turning golden brown and Cheese Hunt mode starring Crispbread," Bossa Studios claims.

No release date for the iOS version of I Am Bread has been nailed down, beyond a vague "later this year." Bossa plans to first finish the PC version of I Am Bread, before turning its full attention to the iOS game.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bossa-studiosi-am-breadiosipadiphonemobilepcsurgeon-simulator-anniversary-editionFri, 30 Jan 2015 19:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/30/sega-sammy-to-cut-hundreds-of-jobs-in-digital-restructure/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/30/sega-sammy-to-cut-hundreds-of-jobs-in-digital-restructure/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/30/sega-sammy-to-cut-hundreds-of-jobs-in-digital-restructure/#comments
Sega Sammy is restructuring to prioritize "Digital Games," a reform that'll see it make job cuts including "soliciting voluntary retirement" for around 300 employees; 120 employees are due to be approached about voluntary retirement next month. Sega of America is among those to be hit by layoffs as it relocates from San Francisco to Southern California.

Sega Sammy plans to now pursue growth in smartphone and PC online gaming, an area that's seen rising results for the company in recent years. Despite the success of some packaged games such as million-seller Alien: Isolation, Sega Sammy's consistently reported favorable results from the likes of Phantasy Star Online 2, Puyo Puyo Quest and Chain Chronicle.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androiddigital-gamesfinancialsiosipadiphonejapanlayoffsmobilepcrestructuringsega-of-americasega-sammyFri, 30 Jan 2015 07:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/29/fahrenheit-indigo-prophecy-remastered-for-steam-ios/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/29/fahrenheit-indigo-prophecy-remastered-for-steam-ios/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/29/fahrenheit-indigo-prophecy-remastered-for-steam-ios/#comments
The "definitive version" of Quantic Dream's Indigo Prophecy is now available on PC, Mac and Linux via Steam as well as iOS. Crafted by porting specialist Aspyr Media, the updated version of the "supernatural murder mystery game" goes by the name Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered as a nod to the 2005 adventure's European name. Players can download it for $9.99 (€8.99 / £6.99).

Aspyr noted in its FAQ that there is "absolutely no cut or censored content in this version" of the game. Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered features updated graphics that can be toggled on and off on the fly and controller support across all platforms. While the Heavy Rain developer's original game was capped at a resolution of 1024 × 768, Aspyr said the remastered version supports native resolutions up to 2880 × 1800. Aspyr claimed it "gave every texture in the game a facelift," giving some elements four times the detail as the original game, but the 2 GB size limit on iOS forced remastered textures to only double in size in the mobile version. While it won't provide a release date just yet, the developer did add that an Android version of Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy is in the works.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aspyrAspyr-MediaFahrenheitFahrenheit-Indigo-ProphecyFahrenheit-Indigo-Prophecy-RemasteredIndigo-Prophecyindigoprophecyiosipadiphonelinuxmacmobilepcquantic-dreamremakeremasterremasteredsteamThu, 29 Jan 2015 14:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/28/lumines-changes-hands-returning-on-ios-and-android/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/28/lumines-changes-hands-returning-on-ios-and-android/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/28/lumines-changes-hands-returning-on-ios-and-android/#comments
Mobcast acquired the Lumines and Meteos properties from Q Entertainment, the Japanese smartphone game developer announced this week, as translated by Gematsu. Additionally, a new Lumines game is on the way for iOS and Android, and will be a collaboration with the colorful puzzle series' creator, Tetsuya Mizuguchi.

Mizuguchi will work on the latest Lumines at his new California-based studio, Enhance Games. The Rez and Space Channel 5 creator co-founded Q Entertainment in 2003 following his departure from Sega. Mizuguchi left the developer in March. The last Lumines game to launch was 2012's Lumines: Electronic Symphony (seen above).

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireacquisitionacquisitionsandroidenhance-gamesiosipipadiphonelumineslumines-electronic-symphonymeteosmobcastmobilepropertypuzzleQ-Entertainmenttetsuya-mizuguchiWed, 28 Jan 2015 14:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/on-my-ipad-helix/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/on-my-ipad-helix/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/on-my-ipad-helix/#commentsThis is On my iPad, a quick look at an iOS game we think you'll enjoy.

We can't seem to put down Michael Brough's Helix. Here's a brief video explaining why the retro-inspired avoidance game is special to us. The challenging, "hectic piece of momentary action" is available on iPhone and iPad for $2.99.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>actionhelixindieiosipadiphonemichael-broughmobileon-my-ipadrecommendedMon, 26 Jan 2015 11:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/joystiq-giveaway-steelseries-stratus-xl-ios-controller-times-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/joystiq-giveaway-steelseries-stratus-xl-ios-controller-times-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/joystiq-giveaway-steelseries-stratus-xl-ios-controller-times-2/#comments
So you're playing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on your iPhone and you're thinking, "Man, it sure would be a lot easier to slice this Dark Jedi directly in their stupid cowled faces if I was using a controller." Than you're playing BioShock on your iPad and you're all, "Stupid Big Daddy wouldn't have drilled a giant hole in my abdomen if I were using a controller." The thought comes again and again while you play Limbo, XCOM, and myriad other games.

Here's how to get the prizes: Just use the Rafflecopter widget below between January 23 and January 30. Winners will be selected at random and contacted via email (so make double sure you use an email we can actually contact you at!) Full rules and details after the break.SteelSeries Stratus XL iOS controller times 2

The second episode of Telltale's six-part Game of Thrones saga debuts early next month, starting February 3 for PC, Mac, PS4 and PS3. Titled "The Lost Lords," the episode is also coming to Xbox One and 360 on February 4, iOS on February 5 and Android at a later date.

The Lost Lords continues the story of House Forrester, a Westeros family who in history have aligned with the Starks - not always the wisest alignment, it has to be said. Telltale's game is interwoven with HBO's TV series, and the plot takes place between the end of the third season and the start of the fifth.

If you've played the first episode then you've already had a few chit-chats with Cersei Lannister, her brother Tyrion, Margaery Tyrell and the huggably lovely Ramsay Snow. As the teaser trailer below the break reveals, another Snow is coming to the game in Episode 2.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidgame-of-thrones-a-telltale-games-seriesgame-of-thrones-episode-2HBOiosipadiphonemacmicrosoftmobilepcplaystationps3ps4release-datetelltale-gamesxboxxbox-oneFri, 23 Jan 2015 08:20:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/her-story-fmv-crime-fiction-game-coming-from-silent-hill-shat/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/her-story-fmv-crime-fiction-game-coming-from-silent-hill-shat/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/her-story-fmv-crime-fiction-game-coming-from-silent-hill-shat/#comments
The latest game from Silent Hill: Shattered Memoriesdesigner and writer Sam Barlow is a little different. It's not survival horror, it doesn't have motion controls and ... it's entirely full-motion video. Entitled Her Story, the game revolves around a police database containing several taped interviews with a female subject, concerning the disappearance of her husband.

Rather than interacting directly with the game, players "type search queries and the database returns clips of the answers where the woman speaks those words." Barlow claims, "If you can Google, you can play Her Story," elaborating that, while the search mechanic is simple, it "quickly reveals its richness and complexity." Non-linear storytelling seems to be the game's hallmark, with Barlow himself calling it "a sculptural way of viewing a story."

We're still not clear on exactly how it will work, whether players will directly affect the narrative or solve the mystery, or just soak in a unique, interactive crime fiction story. Either way, it certainly sounds different.

Her Story is set to arrive early this year on PC, Mac and iOS, and it's currently listed on Steam Greenlight.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>her-storyiosipadiphonemacmobilepcsam-barlowTue, 20 Jan 2015 19:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/bounden-fingle-studio-closes-its-doors-in-april/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/bounden-fingle-studio-closes-its-doors-in-april/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/bounden-fingle-studio-closes-its-doors-in-april/#comments
Game Oven Studios, the independent Dutch team behind body-morphing mobile games Bounden, Bam fu, Fingle and Friendstrap, will be disbanded in April, studio co-founder Adriaan de Jongh announced in a blog post today. Game Oven will release its final game, Jelly Reef, in March on iOS and Android. Game Oven developers de Jongh and Bojan Endrovski will continue to support Bounden, Fingle, Bam fu and Jelly Reef, but they will remove Friendstrap from stores on February 1.

De Jongh and Endrovski founded Game Oven in November 2011 with their first game, Fingle, which was nominated for an IGF Nuovo award. Bounden, a two-player dancing game for mobile, is nominated this year for an IGF Nuovo prize and a GDC Innovation Award. Game Oven received financial support for Bounden from the Dutch grant program, Game Fund, and worked with the Dutch National Ballet to create the choreography.

"We're not making millions, no, but Bounden's profit is larger than the development costs, so maybe awards are not that disconnected from the financial success of the game," he said. "With Fingle, IGF helped us build an audience, helped us reach that critical mass, and even though we no longer do any marketing effort for Fingle, we still make one minimum wage from the game every month. The way things look now, it seems like Bounden is on that same road."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidboundenclosuredutchdutch-game-gardenFingleGame-Ovengdc-2015igf-2014igf-2015IndieiosipadiphonemobileTue, 20 Jan 2015 13:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/18/wwe-immortals-is-free-to-play-wrestling-kombat-for-mobile/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/18/wwe-immortals-is-free-to-play-wrestling-kombat-for-mobile/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/18/wwe-immortals-is-free-to-play-wrestling-kombat-for-mobile/#comments
Have you ever found yourself playing NetherRealm's Injustice: Gods Among Us and thought, "You know, I like Superman and all, but what if he was actually John Cena?" Alternatively, perhaps you've looked at Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and wondered, "What if this guy were an actual, literal rock-man?" Well, you might want to check your brain for transmitting devices, because NetherRealm and Phosphor Games have made your thoughts reality with WWE Immortals, which is now available on iOS and Android devices.

Revealed just last month, WWE Immortals transforms various WWE superstars into warriors, mages, ninjas, knights and monsters, then pits them in touch-based battles with each other. The game is free to play and features support cards to bolster your fighting rosters' power. There's also a story about a magical lamp and alternate dimensions, but really, this is a game about men and women who get paid to fake-punch each other being transformed into mythical warriors. Plot is not going to be its strong suit.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidiosipadiphonemobileNetherrealm-Studiosphosphor-gamesWarner-Bros-Interactivewwewwe-immortalsSun, 18 Jan 2015 16:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/17/minecraft-getting-in-game-name-changes-pocket-edition-sells-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/17/minecraft-getting-in-game-name-changes-pocket-edition-sells-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/17/minecraft-getting-in-game-name-changes-pocket-edition-sells-30/#commentsMinecraft players will be able to change their in-game name soon, development studio Mojang has announced. The process is set to go live on February 4, and looks to be pretty straightforward; once the name-changing system is in place, players can change their in-game name simply by logging into their account. Any name that is not being used by another player will be available, but players will have to wait 30 days before they can change again.

If you're worried about someone swiping your name while you wait said 30 days to come back to it though, don't be: it takes 37 days for an old name to become available for someone else. So if you were to change your name from, say, "MinecraftMasta" to something else, we wouldn't be able to swipe MinecraftMasta for ourselves before you had a chance to reclaim it. Changing names does not change inventory or character status, meaning if someone has blocked you, changing your name won't allow you to circumvent said block.

Mojang also announced that to date, Minecraft: Pocket Edition has sold a combined total of more than 30 million copies. Pocket Editionsurpassed 21 million copies back in April, and expanded its reach to Windows Phone users in December, though Mojang did not share how many of the 9 million new sales were due to releasing on a new platform.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidiosipadiphonemicrosoftMinecraftminecraft-pocket-editionmobilemojangplaystationps3ps4xboxxbox-oneSat, 17 Jan 2015 17:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/monument-valley-made-5-8-million-over-80-percent-on-ios/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/monument-valley-made-5-8-million-over-80-percent-on-ios/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/monument-valley-made-5-8-million-over-80-percent-on-ios/#commentsMonument Valley developer Ustwo earned $5,858,625 from sales for the game as of this past Monday, as highlighted in a fancy infographic breaking down the puzzle game's earnings. Of that revenue, 81.7 percent was earned on iOS, compared to 13.9 percent on Android (where it was released about a month later) and 4.3 percent on Amazon. Ustwo says Monument Valley was installed on over 10 million unique devices, though its profits come from 2,440,076 official sales.

The original game took $852,000 to develop while its eight-level Forgotten Shores update cost the developer $549,000. It first arrived on iOS in April 2014 and recouped its development costed in its first week; Ustwo has now clarified that its launch day on the App Store amounted to $145,530 in revenue.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androiddataIndieiosipadiphonemobilemonument-valleypiracyprofitspuzzlerevenuesalesustwoustwo-studioThu, 15 Jan 2015 21:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/get-an-igf-2015-nominated-game-for-free-today-only/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/get-an-igf-2015-nominated-game-for-free-today-only/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/get-an-igf-2015-nominated-game-for-free-today-only/#commentsPRY, a finalist in Excellence in Narrative at the 2015 Independent Games Festival, is free today on the App Store. PRY is a hybrid game, containing elements of film, literature and gaming. It tells the story of a Gulf War demolitions expert, allowing players to dive into his thoughts and explore his past, present and subconscious with the flicking or pinching of fingers.

The free day is in celebration of the IGF nod, PRY's feature on FWA as Mobile of the Day, and the game's release on iPhone. PRY is broken into two parts; the first installment was previously out for iPad at $3. Once part two launches in March, the full-game price will go up slightly - but those who buy part one before March will receive the second half as a free update. PRY comes from two-person art collective and development studio Tender Claws, which focuses on the intersection of writing, art and technology.

"Nomination by IGF is already an incredible validation," Tender Claws co-founder Samantha Gorman tells Joystiq. "We are a small team of two people who have looked up to and been inspired by current and past IGF nominees. It's so nice to know that our interventions in this space of storytelling are being seen and considered. Of course an IGF award would mean a great deal going forward. It would further give us license to establish our studio and continue to push the bounds of narrative in gameplay."

The 2015 IGF awards will be held on Wednesday, March 4, during GDC in San Francisco.

Pippin Barr - game developer, philosopher, artist - has launched a game within a picture frame, complete with the player's own reflection transposed in real-time over the glass. The game is a snippet from one of Barr's earlier works, Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment, and it uses the camera on your computer or mobile device to throw your own image over the top of the action, as if you were staring at the piece of art in a well-lit gallery.

Barr's inspiration stems from an exhibition of his work at Australia's Andrew Baker Gallery late last year. He took a photo of a print of his Prometheus scene in Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment and imagined turning the photo itself into a game, he says.

"So I made a version of the Prometheus game that runs 'inside' the picture frame," Barr says. "To add to the effect, I also worked on ways to make the digital version of the frame picture reflective in the way it was in the gallery. This extends to (in the best scenario) a live webcam-based reflection that works on desktop versions of Chrome, Firefox, and Opera, a video-based reflection that works in Internet Explorer and Safari, and an animated image-based reflection in mobile browsers. It was quite the technical challenge for me, working with new web technologies I've not encountered before."

In case you're not sure how the match-three puzzle RPG Puzzle & Dragons is managing a Super Mario Bros. crossover, here's some perspective: Puzzle & Dragons has earned 42 million downloads across iOS, Android and Kindle Fire HD devices worldwide since its release in February 2012, according to a press release from GungHo Online Entertainment. Japan is to thank for roughly 33 million of those downloads, but more than 6 million of the total is attributed to the North American audience.

Last year's eShop-only Pokemon Battle Trozei offered gameplay that resembles elements of Puzzle & Dragons, but Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition will be Nintendo's first by-name contribution to the series. GungHo America has mentioned plans for an "overseas release" in relation to Super Mario Bros. Edition, but with a Nintendo representative referring to the game as a "Japanese-only announcement," Super Mario Bros. Edition's Western arrival could certainly use a stronger confirmation.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidiosipadiphonekindle-fire-hdmobileSun, 11 Jan 2015 21:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/11/a-princess-bride-game-on-ios-in-2015-inconceivable/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/11/a-princess-bride-game-on-ios-in-2015-inconceivable/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/11/a-princess-bride-game-on-ios-in-2015-inconceivable/#comments
A video game released in 2015 that's based on a movie from 1987? As you wish. A new iOS game by Gameblend based on the beloved Rob Reiner-directed film, The Princess Bride, is now available on iTunes for $3.99.

Using cartoon graphics and simple controls, the game recreates moments from the famous story, including climbing the Cliffs of Insanity, battling shrieking eels, and dueling with Inigo Montoya. We're not sure if the game forces you to start left-handed on that last one.

Considering this game's release and the release of Run Forrest Run last year, we have to wonder what other classic movie properties are on the table for a mobile adaptation. Sixteen Candles: The Game, anyone? If not, then for now, enjoy storming the castle!

Mobile marketplaces can feel dramatically over-saturated, but lest you wonder if developers are even chasing a worthwhile audience in that space, Apple has shed some light on just how much cash is in play: Developers earned more than $10 billion in revenue across the App Store's 24 software categories during 2014, with almost half a billion being spent across apps and in-app purchases in the first week of January 2015 alone.

Apple puts the lifetime total earned by developers through the App Store at $25 billion. Considering the App Store launched in 2008, that means about 40 percent of total revenue earned by App Store developers was pulled in within the last year. It's worth noting that added store options, like last year's arrival of app previews and app bundles, have likely helped developers sell more than what was feasible in the App Store's infancy. Still, 2014's $10 billion revenue total shows the potential for success in the mobile space, so long as a developer can manage to garner visibility in the flood of apps that are currently available.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app-storeappleiosipadiphonemacmobilesalesSun, 11 Jan 2015 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/gdca-2015-finalists-led-by-middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/gdca-2015-finalists-led-by-middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/gdca-2015-finalists-led-by-middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor/#comments
The finalists for the 2015 Game Developers Choice Awards were revealed today, led by Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, which received five nominations. Monolith's third-person action game was nominated for Game of the Year, Innovation, Best Design, Best Narrative and Best Technology awards at the ceremony (on top of also being Joystiq's favorite game of 2014).

The other nominees for the 15th annual GDCA's Game of the Year award are Bayonetta 2, Alien: Isolation, Destiny and Hearthstone. Blizzard's collectible card game received three nominations in total, the other two for Best Design and Best Handheld/Mobile Game. Destiny also received two other nominations for Best Audio and Best Technology. The ceremony for this year's Game Developer's Choice Awards will be held during the Game Developers Conference on Wednesday, March 4 at 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT) at San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center. Head past the break to see the full list of nominees.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsandroidawardsBlizzardgame-developers-choice-awardsgame-developers-choice-awards-2015gdcagdca-15gdca-2015hearthstonehearthstone-heroes-of-warcraftiosipadiphonemacmicrosoftmiddle-earth-shadow-of-mordormobileMonolithMonolith-Productionsnintendopcplaystationps3ps4Warner-Bros-Interactive-Entertainmentwbiewii-uxboxxbox-oneFri, 09 Jan 2015 19:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/transistor-get-600-000-sales-bastion-breach-3-million/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/transistor-get-600-000-sales-bastion-breach-3-million/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/transistor-get-600-000-sales-bastion-breach-3-million/#commentsTransistor carved its way to more than 600,000 sales in 2014, Supergiant Games revealed this week. The PS4 and PC action-RPG looks set to become the dev's second million-seller, though it's still way off the "more than 3 million" copies sold to date byBastion.

In this week's announcement, Supergiant's Greg Kasavin noted the majority of Bastion's sales arrived "many months after the game first came out on Xbox 360 and PC. So we were very happy to see Transistor selling even faster relative to Bastion during the first couple of months after its launch."

Kasavin's talked about that long sales tail before. Speaking at E3 2013 about future Transistor ports, he said, "For us, it's really important to not be tied down for the long haul, because Bastion's success was not made on any one platform. That being said, our focus is absolutely on a successful PS4 launch and also our Steam PC launch, because if that does not go well, there will not be other versions of the game, most likely and so forth."

"As we cross the threshold to a unified operating system and product experience across Microsoft, it is time to for Xbox avatars to also advance to the next level," the latter posting reads. "Come with us, as we take Xbox avatars on their biggest adventure yet in new Xbox experiences. You will be part of the broader Xbox Experiences team, which owns the Xbox One Shell, and the Xbox experiences across console, desktop, slate, mobile, iOS, and Android."

Created by Microsoft-owned studio Rare, Xbox avatars made their debut as part of an Xbox 360 firmware update in 2008, allowing Xbox Live members to associate digital characters with their gamertags. Though avatars and purchasable customization items remain a focus on the Xbox 360, the characters aren't currently given the same treatment on the Xbox One, where they only appear as part of a gamerpic photo app.

"We're always looking for talented people to innovate now and in the future," a Microsoft spokesperson told Eurogamer in response to a request for clarification. "We don't have any further comment on this or any other job posting."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidavatariosipadiphonemicrosoftmobilepcreportxboxxbox-avatarsxbox-oneThu, 08 Jan 2015 20:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/08/minecraft-was-youtubes-second-most-popular-search-query-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/08/minecraft-was-youtubes-second-most-popular-search-query-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/08/minecraft-was-youtubes-second-most-popular-search-query-of-2014/#comments
Mojang's breakout hit Minecraft took second place in a Google-issued list of the most popular YouTube search queries of 2014, ranking immediately behind the word "music" in terms of search frequency.

According to Google, the word "Minecraft" was more frequently searched on YouTube in 2014 than the term "movies." Gaming personality PewDiePie also ranked among the service's most popular searches in 2014, trailing queries for Disney's Frozen and for artists Drake and Beyonce.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsandroidbest-of-2014iosipadiphonejoystiq-streamsmicrosoftmobilenintendopcplaystationplaystation-vitaps3ps4vitawii-uxboxxbox-oneThu, 08 Jan 2015 15:34:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/best-of-the-rest-ludwigs-picks-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/best-of-the-rest-ludwigs-picks-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/best-of-the-rest-ludwigs-picks-of-2014/#commentsATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris.

Jazzpunk is likely to be misunderstood, or impossible to understand, by design. You could say explanation comes as an insult to its eccentricity.

The gist of it is that you're a spy completing missions in a surreal, robot-dominated world, the kind you might dream up after dozing off in the middle of a late-night Leslie Nielsen movie marathon. And while the convoluted wordplay wouldn't feel out of place in a Zucker spoof - in Japan, for example, you're asked if you prefer kimonos or kistereos - the barbs of reality are what really make Jazzpunk stick.

Take its odd vision of dystopia, which is regularly mocked through one-off minigames (like a first-person shooter dubbed ... Wedding Quake). Here, you can put on a special visor that lets you see and blast nonsensical Wi-Fi passwords as they dance in the air around you. I mean, that's weird, but ... think about it. The concept is kind of weird to begin with, right here on Earth. Taken as a form of escapism, then, Jazzpunk is silly without taking you too far from the truth.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>best-of-the-rest-2014crossy-roaddonkey-kong-country-tropical-freezeforza-horizon-2gods-will-be-watchingiosipadiphonejazzpunkjoystiq-best-of-2014macmicrosoftmobilemonument-valleynidhoggnintendopcplaystationps3ps4recommendedroundaboutstarwhal-just-the-tiptitanfallwatch-dogswii-uxboxxbox-oneWed, 07 Jan 2015 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/igf-2015-finalists-the-talos-principle-80-days-invisible-inc/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/igf-2015-finalists-the-talos-principle-80-days-invisible-inc/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/igf-2015-finalists-the-talos-principle-80-days-invisible-inc/#comments
Finalists for the $30,000 Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the 17th annual Independent Games Festival awards are Klei Entertainment's Invisible Inc., Croteam's The Talos Principle, Inkle Studios' 80 Days, Patrick Smith's Metamorphabet, 11 Bit Studio's This War of Mine and Team Outer Wilds' Outer Wilds. These games make appearances across other categories - Exellence in Visual Art, Narrative, Design, Audio and the Nuovo Award for unconventional game development - as well.

Other games up for awards from the IGF are Lumino City, Else Heart.Break(), Pry, Three Fourths Home, Framed, Killer Queen, Shovel Knight, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, The Sailor's Dream, Desert Golfing, Elegy for a Dead World, Bounden and more, listed in full on the IGF website. The IGF jury nominated more than 30 games from a judging pool of almost 650.

The IGF awards are held during GDC, alongside the Game Developers Choice Awards, on Wednesday, March 4 in San Francisco. Congrats to all the finalists!

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsandroidgdc-2015igfigf-2015Indieiosipadiphonemacmicrosoftmobilenintendopcplaystationps3ps4wii-uxboxxbox-oneWed, 07 Jan 2015 12:35:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/best-of-the-rest-jessicas-picks-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/best-of-the-rest-jessicas-picks-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/best-of-the-rest-jessicas-picks-of-2014/#commentsATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris.

Threes is ingenious. Its simplistic presentation belies beautiful, thoughtful design and butter-smooth mechanics. Threes isn't a matter of "less is more," it's fully encapsulated and pushed to the limits of what it intends to do, providing hours upon hours of repeated gameplay on that four-by-four tiled screen. On top of the brain-teasing numbers game, writer Asher Vollmer, illustrator Greg Wohlwend and composer Jimmy Hinson infuse Threes with personality, giving the numbers voices and faces, and tipping Threes from "Fun" to "Absolutely adorable. And, of course, fun."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidasher-vollmerbest-of-2014best-of-the-restbest-of-the-rest-2014CroTeamdevolver-digitalgreg-wohlwendiosipadiphonejoystiq-best-of-2014macmatt-makes-gamesmicrosoftmobileMurasaki-Babyovosonicopcplaystationplaystation-vitaps4TelltaleTellTale-Gamesthe-talos-principlethe-walking-deadthe-walking-dead-season-2threestowerfalltowerfall-ascensionvitaxbox-oneWed, 07 Jan 2015 11:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/best-of-the-rest-thomas-picks-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/best-of-the-rest-thomas-picks-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/best-of-the-rest-thomas-picks-of-2014/#commentsATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris.

I love listening to music alone. When no one's looking, I'm free to tap out drum beats, put on emotional lip-synchs and flail in synch with a song's swelling heights. Playing Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved is a lot like those solo jam sessions in the way it grants a free pass to completely lose myself in a song's components. Sure, I look ridiculous, but I have to! Matching notes with halfhearted swipes and restrained punches just leads to broken combos, as if the Kinect is the all-knowing gaze of an instructor ready to belittle a cold, tired performance.

Substituting instruments and creating remixes adds a welcome element of experimentation to Fantasia, but it's the core focus of moving with music that brings me back each week. It's increasingly difficult to ignore life's noise while playing a game as I grow older, but Fantasia's peak moments tune out every distraction, leaving me with an uninhibited excuse to enjoy twisted, endearing remixes of songs that I love.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidbest-of-2014best-of-the-rest-2014disney-fantasia-music-evolveddonkey-kong-country-tropical-freezefantasia-music-evolvedfibbagehearthstonehearthstone-heroes-of-warcrafthyrule-warriorsiosipadiphonemacmicrosoftmobilenintendopcplaystationps3ps4pushmo-worldrogue-legacysouth-park-the-stick-of-truthterra-battlewii-uwolfenstein-the-new-orderxboxxbox-oneTue, 06 Jan 2015 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/best-of-the-rest-susans-picks-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/best-of-the-rest-susans-picks-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/best-of-the-rest-susans-picks-of-2014/#commentsATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris.

Framed is so elegant and simple that it needs not a single word to teach you how to play. If you understand the basic function of the panels in a comic book and are able to poke things with your finger, you will swiftly understand the basics of how to make things happen in this brilliant mobile game. Arrange the panels one way, and your spy makes a daring escape from the police; position them another way, and he emerges from the wrong door right into the hands of the law.

From the very first level, which uses just two panels to illustrate how switching the order of the comic can change the outcome of its events, Framed builds on its simplicity, adding more panels, directionality and timing to create more complex puzzles in its stylish spy-vs-spy thriller. Each page of the comic is a puzzle complete unto itself, making Framed perfectly designed for short bursts of inspiration, or restricted play time. It's one of those games that's so damn clever, you wish you'd thought it up yourself.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsandroidbest-of-2014best-of-the-rest-2014danganronpa-2-goodbye-despairdanganronpa-trigger-happy-havocframediosipadiphonejoystiq-best-of-2014lightning returns final fantasy xiiimicrosoftmobilenintendopersona qplaystationplaystation-vitaps3recommendedtales from the borderlandsvitaxboxTue, 06 Jan 2015 10:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/05/clock-tower-successor-project-scissors-becomes-nightcry-gets/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/05/clock-tower-successor-project-scissors-becomes-nightcry-gets/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/05/clock-tower-successor-project-scissors-becomes-nightcry-gets/#comments
The spiritual successor to the Clock Tower survival horror series, Project Scissors, has a new name and a new live action teaser. The game is now called NightCry, and the trailer is definitely creepy, if a little light on information. One thing that Clock Tower fans will be sure to notice, however, is the presence of big, bloody scissors. Or, to put it more accurately, big scissors that appear to be made of blood.

The teaser is directed by Takashi Shimizu, director of the Ju-On horror film series and its American counterpart, The Grudge. Shimizu was revealed to be a part of the game project last year, along developer Nude Maker, which is led by the director of the original Clock Tower games, Hifumi Kouno.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidiosipadiphonemobilenightcrynude-makerplaystationplaystation-vitaproject-scissorsvitaMon, 05 Jan 2015 20:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/02/best-of-the-rest-mikes-picks-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/02/best-of-the-rest-mikes-picks-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/02/best-of-the-rest-mikes-picks-of-2014/#commentsATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris.

Desert Golfing

Imagine you're stranded in the middle of a vast desert with nothing but a golf club and ball, rolling hills of sand stretching as far as the eye can see. You're not going anywhere soon. May as well play a few thousand rounds and work on your swing, right? Whoa, did you see that cactus on hole #316? Maybe it was a mirage, but I swear I found a rock on hole #537.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-golden-wakeandroidbest-of-2014best-of-the-rest-2014desert-golfinggeometry-wars-3-dimensionshitman-goiosipadiphonejoystiq-best-of-2014madden-nfl-15microsoftmobilepcplaystationps3ps4recommendedxboxxbox-oneFri, 02 Jan 2015 17:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/02/joystiq-deals-last-chance-for-golden-apple-and-dropbox-giveaway/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/02/joystiq-deals-last-chance-for-golden-apple-and-dropbox-giveaway/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/02/joystiq-deals-last-chance-for-golden-apple-and-dropbox-giveaway/#comments
Heads up: you've got less than one week to enter a pair of great giveaways we're offering on Joystiq Deals, and we're giving you one last chance to put yourself in the running for prizes worth more than $1,400.

Enter our Golden Apple Giveaway and you could win a golden iPad Air 2 and a gold iPhone 6. If online storage is what you need, you should also enter our Mega Dropbox Pro Giveaway, which will award three years of Dropbox Pro service and a terabyte's worth of space to one lucky winner.

The submission deadline for both contests is January 5, and make sure to share your entries on Twitter to receive additional chances to win. Good luck!

Joystiq Deals is a partnership between AOL and StackSocial. A portion of sales goes to funding this site. Deals are curated by StackSocial independently of the Joystiq editorial team.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidgiveawayiosipadiphonejoystiq-dealsmobileFri, 02 Jan 2015 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/02/best-of-the-rest-richards-picks-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/02/best-of-the-rest-richards-picks-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/02/best-of-the-rest-richards-picks-of-2014/#commentsATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris.

The best thing about The Vanishing of Ethan Carter might be that it tells its story in a way that only a video game can. Other games aspire to emulate other forms of media, to be more like movies or books. Ethan Carter, on the other hand, embraces the interactivity of the medium in a wonderful way, with an awareness of a video game's ability to let you live through a moment, rather than just witnessing it.

At first, Ethan Carter feels like a typical paranormal mystery, and its investigation mechanics are cleverly implemented, asking you to put the events of the past in the correct order to reveal the truth behind a series of murders. The mystery elements turn out to be just a small part of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, though, and you soon find yourself pulled into some of the greatest moments of pure fantasy that I've ever seen in a video game.

I won't say another word, for fear of spoiling anything. If you appreciate a good mystery, and you believe in the transportational power of games, do yourself a favor and pick it up.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidbest-of-2014best-of-the-rest-2014dark-souls-2destinyhearthstonehearthstone-heroes-of-warcraftiosipadiphonejoystiq-best-of-2014microsoftmobilepcpersona-qpersona-q-shadow-of-the-labyrinthrecommendedtales-from-the-borderlandsthe-vanishing-of-ethan-carterxbox-oneFri, 02 Jan 2015 11:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/01/joystiq-top-10-of-2014-valiant-hearts-the-great-war/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/01/joystiq-top-10-of-2014-valiant-hearts-the-great-war/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/01/joystiq-top-10-of-2014-valiant-hearts-the-great-war/#commentsATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris.

War is a common theme throughout video games, usually granting you a trigger to pull and later reminding you of the true cost of battle. Ubisoft Montpellier's approach to one of history's deadliest conflicts in Valiant Hearts: The Great War eludes those narrative methods, instead spinning an endearing tale about a period of sustained malice and sorrow.

Set during the events of World War 1, Valiant Hearts' four playable humans (and one canine) get swept in the waves of global catastrophe practically by circumstance. The side-scrolling adventure game begins with the German-born Karl stripped from his family in France, then injected into the side of conflict opposite that of his father-in-law, Emile. As the world around them collapses, they meet the Belgian medic, Anna, who is drawn in for the good of others, and the voluntarily enlisted American, Freddie, who has a personal mission at heart.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidbest-of-2014gotygoty-2014iosipadiphonejoystiq-best-of-2014microsoftmobilepcplaystationps3ps4recommendedubisoftUbisoft-Montpelliervaliant-heartsvaliant-hearts-the-great-warxboxxbox-oneThu, 01 Jan 2015 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/31/joystiq-deals-flexible-sturdy-and-durable-micro-usb-cables/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/31/joystiq-deals-flexible-sturdy-and-durable-micro-usb-cables/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/31/joystiq-deals-flexible-sturdy-and-durable-micro-usb-cables/#comments
Looking for an alternative to the flimsy charging cables that are often bundled with mobile devices? Joystiq Deals has what you need. Today we're offering a pack of three durable Micro USB cables for only $13.99.

These cables are built to last, featuring textured rubber armor that will protect your investment while offering the flexibility you need. They're compatible with any device that charges itself via a Micro USB connection, and are an ideal fit for desktop USB hubs and car chargers. Our sale price is good through the end of the week, so pick up a pack while you've got the chance!
Joystiq Deals is a partnership between AOL and StackSocial. A portion of sales goes to funding this site. Deals are curated by StackSocial independently of the Joystiq editorial team.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidiosipadiphonejoystiq-dealsmobileWed, 31 Dec 2014 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/30/joystiq-deals-top-gear-deals-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/30/joystiq-deals-top-gear-deals-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/30/joystiq-deals-top-gear-deals-of-2014/#commentsJoystiq Deals continues its return trip through 2014's sale catalog today, giving you a second chance to grab some of our most popular deals on gear and gadgets as the year draws to a close.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidiosipadiphonejoystiq-dealsmobileTue, 30 Dec 2014 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/29/joystiq-deals-top-digital-deals-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/29/joystiq-deals-top-digital-deals-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/29/joystiq-deals-top-digital-deals-of-2014/#comments
Today on Joystiq Deals, we're returning to several of the best and most popular game development training courses we've featured throughout the year, giving you a second chance to pick up some crucial skills at a great price.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidiosipadiphonejoystiq-dealsmacmobilepcMon, 29 Dec 2014 16:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/29/joystiq-discussion-how-do-you-like-your-best-of-the-year-list/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/29/joystiq-discussion-how-do-you-like-your-best-of-the-year-list/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/29/joystiq-discussion-how-do-you-like-your-best-of-the-year-list/#comments
How do you evaluate Tetris and Metroid in the same breath? Does that even make sense? One's about manipulating space using a small collection of simple shapes while the other's about exploring an alien world as an increasingly dangerous bounty hunter. Yet they're both video games. They're electronic works of art defined by how the audience touches and prods them. Deeply different yet similar at their most basic levels.

This is the central conundrum that always arises at the end of the year. When looking back and determining what was the very best amongst 2014's video games, it's hard to compare certain works. Does a game like Assassin's Creed: Unity, made by hundreds of people, get compared to something like Shovel Knight which was made by just a handful of creators? Do you even count things like Simogo's The Sailor's Dream? It's tricky. Yet when you're talking about the very best, maybe it doesn't matter that things are so different. These are the games that excelled; end of story.

The question then: how do you like your Best of the Year? Do you like everything lumped together, a free-for-all to spotlight the things that were the greatest no matter what? Or should the Best of the Year be broken into smaller categories so as to make sure that every game is on equal footing against similar works? Take the poll, discuss in the comments.

There are fresh Final Fantasy games to play or lookforward to on most gaming platforms, and Square Enix is looking to expand its RPG portfolio with Mevius Final Fantasy on Android and iPhone. Touted as a "full-scale, high-quality RPG," Mevius FF is due to reach Japan this spring, with a Western release date still to be announced.

A Gematsu report touched on Mevius FF's story earlier this month, which plays out in Paramatia, a bleak land with a populace untouched by the "Light of Hope." Players wake in this world without a single memory, but a mysterious voice will guide them along their path.

As busy as Square Enix is working with the Final Fantasy series, those that would prefer a fresh RPG adventure should still have something to anticipate - the developer began assembling a studio to make a brand-new console RPG three months ago.

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Warm yourself by the holiday fire with a blanket, a warm cup of cocoa and a good discounted mobile app.

In SXPD, a comic book and video game hybrid now available on iOS and Android devices, an all-female police force patrols New Royale, the United States' hidden 52nd (yes, 52nd) state that's owned by the richest man in the country. The Secret Order of the Black Seraphim is among the forces that seek to ruin New Royale, and since the territory lies beyond the nation's conventional authority, the stimulant-supplemented SXPD are the only force capable of countering the Secret Order.

Crimestoppers can help the SXPD out by tackling the game's first chapter after an initial $1.99 download. SXPD's store description notes that after a 99-cent in-app purchase, SXPD offers 42 comic book pages from Duke Mighten (Judge Dredd, Afro Samurai), six chapters of motorbike combat directed by David Perry (designer of Earthworm Jim), six extra arcade playmodes and a challenge that pays tribute to 3D Deathchase, a ZX Spectrum title said to have inspired SXPD.